Poll: Romney may have slight edge among abortion voters

Mitt Romney could benefit from a slight pro-life edge among single-issue abortion voters in November, according to a new Gallup poll.

One in six voters say they will only support a presidential candidate who shares their views on abortion. Abortion is the threshold issue for 21 percent of pro-life voters and 15 percent of those who are pro-choice.

Gallup notes in its report accompanying the poll, “That represents 9% and 7%, respectively, of all voters — a slight pro-life tilt, albeit one that could potentially benefit pro-life Republican candidate Mitt Romney.”

Forty-nine percent of pro-lifers and 43 percent of pro-choice voters consider abortion one of many important factors in their vote.

Social issues went unmentioned in Wednesday night’s debate — which was focused exclusively on the economy — but abortion advocacy played a prominent role at the Democratic National Convention. Pro-choice activists have accused Republicans of waging a “war on women.”

The balance between pro-life and pro-choice abortion-centric voters has been consistent since the 1996 presidential election, according to Gallup’s polling.

Only in 2004 was the gap large. That year, 12 percent of pro-life voters said they would only cast their ballot for a candidate who agreed with them on abortion. Only 5 percent of pro-choice voters said the same.

Exit polls have historically shown the pro-life advantage to be somewhat larger.

In 1992, pro-life George Bush beat pro-choice Bill Clinton by 55 percent to 36 percent among voters who considered abortion one of their top issues.

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